Hand Me Downy: The Ups of Hand Me Downs

My boys wear hand-me-downs, it’s just a given. As a mom, I care about value and sustainability – so being able to reuse clothes in our family means things can be worn and enjoyed for many years to come. Friends and family are amazed that I can still swap clothing among Ryder and Reid! Usually, once kids reach school age, the first child is much too rough on his or her outfits, making a second round of use almost impossible to pull off. That’s why we use Downy Fabric Conditioner. It’s specially formulated to protect against stretch, fade and fuzz and helps our kids’ clothes last longer, so they can be worn, re-worn and handed down, instead of worn out, thrown out and end up in a landfill too soon.

Meet Ryder. He’s our first born; tender, sensitive and always fussing after others. He gets first dibs on mostly everything, simply because he’s an early riser and an eager apprentice.Meet Reid. Born almost two years to the day after his older brother, he loves cake and loud noises and operates on two modes: energetic and sugar rush implosion.

He’s also spent his entire childhood wearing hand-me-down clothes.

From the moment I found out I was having another boy, I carefully packed away all of Ryder’s clothing. The large totes were organized with a Seinfeldian level of OCD that still makes me warm and fuzzy to this day. I currently have a big batch of Size 8-10 clothing waiting for Reid to take ownership; he’ll begin to fit into these previously loved clothes after his annual summer growth spurt.

“How come Ryder doesn’t have to wear MY old clothes?” Reid sometimes asks. I think we all know the answer to that!Thankfully, over the years I’ve discovered a few key ways to improve the longevity of my kids’ clothing, and I’m happy to share the tips with you today!

1. Purchase quality garments at a reasonable price. Look, I’m not saying you need to buy designer track pants for your six-year old (unless you want to). The fact is, as moms, we all know the difference between “value” brands (think two t-shirts for $8) and brands with a reputation for higher quality clothing. Go for somewhere in the middle. Children can be hard on their clothes and tend to wear the same ones over and over; be sure that their favourite tee or jeans can keep up with them.

2. Protect fabrics in-wash. Did you know that Tide and Downy together keeps clothes looking newer 50% longer and helps you get more life out of your kids’ clothes? They can be worn, re-worn and handed down – not worn out and thrown out too soon. Downy is specially formulated to protect clothes from stretch, fade and fuzz. Think of it as conditioner for your clothes! And when you get more wear out of the clothing, your wallet sighs in relief, too.3. Be a tree hugger. Hand-me-down clothing can also have a positive impact on the planet. In North America, 9.5 million tonnes of clothing is sent to landfills each year, and nearly 95% of that could have been either reused or recycled. In Canada alone, if we took all the clothing in landfills from just one year, we could fill the Rogers’ Centre three times! Please don’t be part of this scary statistic; take a long look at the kids clothing you have on hand, and then revisit point #1 and #2 above!

4. Host a Hand-Me-Downy Kid Clothing Swap Party. One word: ingenious. Now that you’ve purchased quality clothing and protected it wash after wash with Downy Fabric Conditioner, here’s a great idea to ensure that your kids’ favourite clothes are loved again and again (and don’t end up in the landfill too soon!). It’s an economical and sustainable way to declutter your family’s closets and I’ve hosted many swap parties over the years – especially when the boys were toddlers.Hosting a clothing swap party is simple:

– Be clear about what’s swap-worthy. Remind guests to clean out pockets, check for mystery stains and ensure there’s no sentimental value attached to the article of clothing.

– Be mindful of the size/gender of the kids clothing when inviting friends to participate. Everyone should go home with something they love!

– Display items in a simple manner; although hanging items a la trunk show sounds like a cool idea, you may be better off simply displaying the clothing on a clean folding table.

– Take turns “shopping” and limit the number of picks to three per turn. Donate any unclaimed clothing to a local charity.

Have I convinced you of the ups of hand-me-downs? Visit handmedowny.ca for more information on how Downy can keep your child’s clothes in great condition. You’ll also find some money-saving coupons!

I love P&G and use their site a ton, especially for money saving coupons! I did like the post about hosting a clothing swap party! That’s definitely an interesting way to to save money and recycle gently used clothing especially as I have a girl and a boy so no hand me downs.

The handy me downy party is SUCH a great fun idea! I mean I’m expecting baby number 3 and although I have one of each I handed down some clothes to other family and friends and those in need so this is smart!!